Posted on 04/29/2005 8:37:46 AM PDT by kellynla
SACRAMENTO — Calling the nation's borders dangerously porous, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday praised the private "Minuteman" campaign that uses armed volunteers to stop illegal immigrants from crossing into the U.S.
Schwarzenegger said in a radio interview that the federal government is failing to secure the border with Mexico, and he cast the hundreds of private citizens who have been patrolling the Arizona-Mexico border since April 1 as a popular response to government inaction.
"I think they've done a terrific job," Schwarzenegger said of the "Minuteman" volunteers, who plan to expand to California in June. "They've cut down the crossing of illegal immigrants a huge percentage. So it just shows that it works when you go and make an effort and when you work hard. It's a doable thing."
The governor added that, "It's just that our federal government is not doing their job. It's a shame that the private citizen has to go in there and start patrolling our borders."
President Bush has denounced the Minuteman volunteers as vigilantes.
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) expressed surprise that Schwarzenegger would be "praising efforts by untrained volunteers to patrol the borders. The best course … would be to add an additional 2,000 border patrol agents."
The leader of a Mexican American group called the governor's comments "shameful" and "nothing short of base racism."
"I think we're seeing the real Arnold Schwarzenegger. The mask has now fallen," said Nativo V. Lopez, state national president of the Mexican American Political Assn. "Those of immigrant stock should have no illusions about what his real sentiments and feelings are toward them."
Just last week, Schwarzenegger and his aides sought to clarify his statement to a convention of newspaper publishers that the nation should "close the borders."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Yeah, I watched that and was surprised he didn't mention it. Pardon my ignorance, I still love the guy, but why the inaction?
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
Where are the land mines on the border? Why aren`t we using land mines with frosty glasses of lemonade near them?
This happens up here too. Only with us it occurs in the form of dodgy asylum seekers. Big companies can hire these people, claim to be 'equal opportunity' employers, and then benefit from that claim, whilst paying them pitifully low wages. The government then benefits because these people invariably vote Liberal.
Like I always tell people whom accuse me of racism when debating this subject, race has nothing to do with it. I'd feel exactly the same way if we were having the same problem at the Candian border. (on the same scale.. I'm sure the northern border has it's own share of illegal crossings..)
Anyone who accuses you of racism for supporting the enforcement of immigration laws is a coward and a traitor to America! PERIOD!
Arnold supports your MMP? Gosh, what are you and Norm going to do?
One of these days, one of the border states are going to sue the Federal government for failing to fulfill its Constitutional obligation.
The border states should sue for the added costs of law enforcement, medical care and education from the invasion of illegals.
What's Malvone?
I for one am going to thank him for it.
At least he recognizes the need for SOMEONE to try to secure the damn borders when the federal government refuses to and the President calls civilians who do what the government fails to do "vigilantes".
"Gosh, what are you and Norm going to do?"
Well I can't speak for anyone else but I'm going to ignore flame baiters like you...
Especially ones who don't live, work or pay taxes in California!
Does that answer your question, genius?
The Governor of Arizona has billed the federal government for the cost of housing illegals in Arizona prisons. Which is surprising, since she's a flaming liberal.
I agree, like I've documented many times, the illegals are costing California alone NINE BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR and when you add Texas, New Mexico and Arizona it is close to FIFTEEN BILLION NET LOSS A YEAR!
We just can't afford to continue operating like this especially when CA only gets about SEVENTY CENTS BACK FOR EVERY DOLLAR SENT TO WASINGTON!
Well I would take anything that Feinstein says with a grain of salt...
After all, neither she or Boxer have come forward to demand that the borders and ports be secured, employers who hire illegals fined, illegals deported and/or the National Guard be called out!
So until I see some action from any of these clowns I'm not taking anything they say serioiusly!
I saw that illegal immigration was costing this country $68 billion a year! Think of what could be done for this country if we had that $68 billion to use for other things.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.